close of the session had shown that it was not your Lordship's intention, nor that of either House, to take any further steps in the business. I cannot now repent of my forbearance, as it served at least to bring forward testimonies most highly honourable to me, from many individuals of the first weight and character in the age in which we live; these testimonies having been so repeatedly and so publicly urged in your Lordship's presence, and without contradiction on your part, cannot but have convinced you that you had formed a wrong judgment respecting me, or that you had been deceived by others. In either case, I am entitled to hope, and to presume, that you will render to me and to my character that justice which one man of honour has a right to expect from another.

I have the honour to be, my Lord,

Your most obedient, humble servant,

J. BERESFORD.

LORD FITZWILLIAM TO MR. BERESFORD.

Milton, 23rd June, 1795.

SIR,-I had the honour of receiving your letter of the 22nd this morning. The letters you allude to were written by me to Lord Carlisle, and those printed, though not printed by my direction, at my desire, or with my privity, I believe to be substantially copies of the letters I sent to Lord Carlisle, and certainly are so with respect to the quotation in your letter to me, which therefore I

VOL. II.

I

cannot permit any person whatever to charge with falsity.

It is difficult for me to leave this place abruptly; domestic considerations require a little management; but I will be in town in the course of a few days, where I trust I may rely upon your remaining for the present.

I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient, and very humble servant,

WENTWORTH FITZWILLIAM.

LORD FITZWILLIAM TO MR. BERESFORD.

(Delivered by Lord George Cavendish.)

Sunday morning, 28th June, 1795.

SIR, I have the honour to announce to you my presence in town. As I could not misunderstand the object of your letter, I have only to signify that I am ready to attend your call, and have the honour to be, Sir,

Your most obedient servant,

WENTWORTH FITZWILLIAM.

MR. BERESFORD TO LORD BUCKINGHAM.

6th July, 1795.

MY DEAR LORD,-You had not left town half an hour when I called at your house, wishing to have

stated to you what had passed between Lord Fitzwilliam and me. I have waited since in hopes of being able to see you; but finding from James Talbot that, as I set out on Wednesday for Ireland, I have no chance of seeing you, I am obliged to write.

In consequence of what had passed, I thought it necessary to call upon Lord Fitzwilliam, either to disavow or to explain in a proper manner the expressions he had made use of in the letters to Lord Carlisle, published in his name; I therefore proceeded, as soon as the session was over, to write him a letter, in the civillest terms 1 could, desiring him so to do; but as I was apprehensive that either he might not answer my letter, or if he did that he might say that he acted in his ministerial capacity, and did not consider himself answerable for what he did, which I understood was the language of his friends, I thought it necessary to make use of such expressions as to the offensive part of his letters as should either oblige him to take notice of them, or should expose him on my letter being seen. I therefore wrote to him the letter of which I send you a copy." This letter exactly answered my purpose, for his Lordship took hold of the offensive expressions made use of, and wrote me the answer which I also enclose. In his answer he avows the paragraphs I quoted, but denies

a This letter to Lord Buckingham fully accounts for the communication from Mr. Beresford to Lord Fitzwilliam being found among Lord Buckingham's papers at Stow, and it shows how it got there. It is, however, strange that the letter itself in which it was enclosed was lost, or if not lost, that it was not at the same time published in the "Memoirs of the Court of George the Third."

they were published by his direction, at his desire, or with his privity, and adds that he will not permit any one to charge them with falsity, and says he will come to town in a few days, and desires me to stay for him. This was just what I wished, because it put the business on him.

This answer is dated 23rd June, and I heard not a word from him until eight o'clock on Sunday morning, the 28th, when Lord George Cavendish called upon me. He told me he was sorry to come upon so disagreeable a business, but Lord Fitzwilliam had come to town, and was then in a hackney coach in the neighbourhood, and ready to obey my call. I answered, that I had written a letter to his Lordship, in which I had given my opinion of the letters written by him to Lord Carlisle in such expressions as I thought they deserved, that his Lordship had taken offence at these expressions, and answered that he would not admit that the aspersions on my character contained in his letters were untrue; I had, foreseeing he would call upon me, desired Lord Townshend to accompany me in such case; and that it was therefore proper for me in the first instance to send for him. I accordingly went out, and sent Sir George Montgomery for him. While he was away, which was

a Lord George Cavendish, second son of William, fourth Duke of Devonshire, and Lady Charlotte Boyle, daughter of Richard, third Earl of Burlington; born 1754; M.P. for the county of Derby; created, 1831, Earl of Burlington; married, 1782, Lady Elizabeth Compton, daughter of Charles, seventh Earl of Northampton; died 1834.

b Sir George Montgomery, second son of Sir William Montgomery and of Miss Watts; half-brother to Mrs. Beresford; M.P. for Peebleshire; succeeded as Baronet 1783; died 1831.

117 not above ten minutes, Lord George showed me a letter which Mr. Ford, a police magistrate, had written to Lord Fitzwilliam, dated two o'clock, Sunday morning. It stated that he had information that his Lordship was come to town to settle some difference with me, which his duty as a magistrate must oblige him to prevent. Lord George told me that in consequence of this letter Lord Fitzwilliam had left his house before seven o'clock by the back door, and was then in a coach. Sir George then returned, and I found that Lord Townshend could not come out before eleven o'clock. I therefore told Sir George of the letter, and of the necessity of going out directly, lest I should be arrested, and I asked him to accompany me, which he consented to. Lord George and he went out together to fix a place of meeting; while they were doing this, Lord George asked if they could not interfere. Sir George said that they might if Lord Fitzwilliam would make an apology. Lord George said that he would make any he could with propriety. Sir George returned to me, and we got into a coach and followed directly. When we came to the ground, the treaty was renewed, and drafts of an apology were drawn, which were not satisfactory to me. This took up time, during which a number of people gathered round us, suspecting what we were about. I doubt not there were fifty. We therefore were obliged to get into my coach and drive off. We went through Paddington about a mile and a half, and went into another field. They made one attempt more at an apology, which would not answer, and then Sir George measured the